The U.S. Forest Service is the federal agency charged with managing, conserving and improving the nation's forest lands, range lands and wetlands. Most people are familiar with Forest Service foresters, officers and maintenance crews, but the USFS actually employs more than 30,000 workers at several hundred locations all around the country. Many, but not all, of these positions require some college or a college degree, and research-related positions typically require graduate degrees.

1. Assess your skills and decide what job(s) you want to apply for at the USFS. The Forest Service hires professional employees such as foresters, botanists and archeologists; technical personnel such as forestry technicians, engineering technicians and law enforcement officers; and administrative staff such as teachers, realty specialists and human resource managers.

2. Check the openings for permanent, full-time positions at the USFS by searching at USAJOBS.gov. Enter a search string such as "forest service permanent jobs" and "Texas," for example, into the "What" and Where" boxes, and click the search button to get a current list of job openings.

3. Apply for any job(s) you are interested in. You will have to create a USAJOBS account to apply for permanent, full-time USFS jobs, but after you have created an account, you can apply for as many USFS or other federal jobs that meet your skill set.

4. Include all required documentation and references with your application. Missing transcripts or certifications, or not providing adequate contact information for references, are common reasons for delays in processing applications.

Tips

You can check your application status at any time when you log into USAJOBS.

Prepare for an interview by learning as much as you can about the position and the department, and writing down at least three or four thoughtful questions to ask during the interview.

Warning

Most professional positions and many administrative and technical positions at the USFS require a background check, including a credit check and criminal history, as well as a drug screening and polygraph exam as part of the application process.

About the Author

Clayton Browne has been writing professionally since 1994. He has written and edited everything from science fiction to semiconductor patents to dissertations in linguistics, having worked for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Steck-Vaughn and The Psychological Corp. Browne has a Master of Science in linguistic anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.